Transmission : service writer said he wasn't going to change the filter??? Is this how ford rolls?

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

GCATX

King Dingaling
Joined
Oct 6, 2018
Posts
9,145
Reaction score
26,154
Location
Central Texas
First, do not brake torque it much or for very long. The main heat source in a transmission is the shearing of the fluid inside the torque converter.

Fluid doesn't leave the torque converter real fast (if it did it probably would not work), if you brake torque heavy for a length of time you will boil the fluid inside the torque converter, and blow your torque converter seal out.

Just to confess my sin, almost 30 years ago I did this twice. Both on days were the temp was about 10 degrees. Jump in truck, 1/4 inch of ice on the windshield freezing my ass off, certain tests can't be completed until engine gets to certain temp. Don't want to pull in the shop and choke other techs out with exhaust. So put transmission in drive, and apply throttle. About 2-3 minutes later transmission fluid everywhere. Engine never got to 70 degrees. Trans temp sensor never registered over 90 degrees.

Not putting two and two together, it happened next time about 3 weeks later.

Both times, pulled transmission to replace torque converter seal and both torque converters crazy color of purple and ballooned (expanded outward).

2nd time I figured it out.

The transmission temp required to check the transmission is because Ford wants to make sure the transmission thermostat has opened and flow has went through the cooler, this is to push any air out of the cooler. They don't want air in the cooler, you set level to the mark, you go tow, thermostat opens and fills the cooler and now you are a quart low inside the pan.
Nice. Couldn't they just mark the damn stick to check it when fluid is cold. Assuming all other things are equal such that the average amount of air would be in the cooler or whatever.

Or have Hot and Cold marks like the old days. I understand that it could be a little off either way, but dang. It seems to be creating a lot of issues after "service".
 

Old-Raptor-guy

FRF Addict
Joined
Jul 25, 2021
Posts
1,914
Reaction score
4,523
Location
USA
Nice. Couldn't they just mark the damn stick to check it when fluid is cold. Assuming all other things are equal such that the average amount of air would be in the cooler or whatever.

Or have Hot and Cold marks like the old days. I understand that it could be a little off either way, but dang. It seems to be creating a lot of issues after "service".
Keep it up, you will never make it as an engineer thinking like that.

Oh the worst one is Honda (maybe nissian also). They want you to check transmission fluid at some weird temp like 115 degrees. YET!!! The transmission cooler is a heat exchanger on the side of the transmission with 3/4 inch coolant lines from the engine going to it. The transmission is only 115 degrees when the engine is AND that is only for about 15 seconds. Why, oh f-me why wouldn't they say 195 degrees since that is pretty much what the transmission temp is 95% of the time.
Ephing engineers
 

GCATX

King Dingaling
Joined
Oct 6, 2018
Posts
9,145
Reaction score
26,154
Location
Central Texas
Keep it up, you will never make it as an engineer thinking like that.

Oh the worst one is Honda (maybe nissian also). They want you to check transmission fluid at some weird temp like 115 degrees. YET!!! The transmission cooler is a heat exchanger on the side of the transmission with 3/4 inch coolant lines from the engine going to it. The transmission is only 115 degrees when the engine is AND that is only for about 15 seconds. Why, oh f-me why wouldn't they say 195 degrees since that is pretty much what the transmission temp is 95% of the time.
Ephing engineers
Sorry, you lost me at Honda. :)
 

Bubbasuwannee

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2019
Posts
297
Reaction score
531
Location
Angier, NC
First, do not brake torque it much or for very long. The main heat source in a transmission is the shearing of the fluid inside the torque converter.

Fluid doesn't leave the torque converter real fast (if it did it probably would not work), if you brake torque heavy for a length of time you will boil the fluid inside the torque converter, and blow your torque converter seal out.

Just to confess my sin, almost 30 years ago I did this twice. Both on days were the temp was about 10 degrees. Jump in truck, 1/4 inch of ice on the windshield freezing my ass off, certain tests can't be completed until engine gets to certain temp. Don't want to pull in the shop and choke other techs out with exhaust. So put transmission in drive, and apply throttle. About 2-3 minutes later transmission fluid everywhere. Engine never got to 70 degrees. Trans temp sensor never registered over 90 degrees.

Not putting two and two together, it happened next time about 3 weeks later.

Both times, pulled transmission to replace torque converter seal and both torque converters crazy color of purple and ballooned (expanded outward).

2nd time I figured it out.

The transmission temp required to check the transmission is because Ford wants to make sure the transmission thermostat has opened and flow has went through the cooler, this is to push any air out of the cooler. They don't want air in the cooler, you set level to the mark, you go tow, thermostat opens and fills the cooler and now you are a quart low inside the pan.


Thanks for that info. The one video I saw said to only brake torque for maximum of 10 seconds, then wait a bit, then again. And it was very low RPMS as well, but enough to get the temp up to the specified temp.
 

Sharpie69

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2021
Posts
934
Reaction score
810
Location
Boston, Ma
B and M locking dipstick worth it for this reason , install and get your level readings before your service , then do your service . Then you can add fluid to where you were before . I have same one on my Gen 1 and 2 . Redline D6 Fluid on both trucks as well . You can fill though this hose as well.

https://www.rpgoffroad.com/product/bm-22200-locking-transmission-dipstick-for-2010-2019-6r80-10r80/



View attachment 417142
I know you posted a year ago, I wanting to do the transmission service myself from now on, did you use this dipstick on your Gen2? Are you happy with it? Is it worth the $238
Thanks
 

Sharpie69

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2021
Posts
934
Reaction score
810
Location
Boston, Ma
You can get pan off without removing Tcase.

I have the BM dipstick. Set your fluid level with your original baby dipstick first. Then install the BM dipstick, check level and mark the stick. The BM doesn't have any fluid marks on it.
Good morning, I want to start servicing the transmission myself, I've been reading through this thread and still have some questions, I'm very interested in the B&M dipstick, can you give me some feedback? How is it for adding fluid? Where did you purchase from? I'm seeing 238-261$ price range
Thank you
 

Old-Raptor-guy

FRF Addict
Joined
Jul 25, 2021
Posts
1,914
Reaction score
4,523
Location
USA
Adding fluid is probably pretty slow, and has been reported as such. It is a small tube. As far as checking fluid level it is a dipstick, couldn't be any easier. On my transmission the dipstick does NOT touch the fluid cold. Which kind of ticks me off, it could be an inch longer. But hot I made a mark on it and it works.
I don't remember where I bought it, it has been a couple years.
 
Last edited:

91Eunos

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2018
Posts
884
Reaction score
1,699
Location
Hill country, Tejas
Finally found this more appropriate thread to ask a question… I understand the pan needs to be dropped to change the filter, but I still like the idea of replacing the stock pan for one that has a drain to expedite the drain, and reduce the mess of dropping the pan while full of fluid for the next time I change the trans fluid.

My question @FordTechOne and @Old-Raptor-guy would y’all ever bother doing a drain/refill without dropping the pan and swapping the filter as well, even if it were easy to do so via a trans pan with a drain?

Maybe at much more frequent intervals (20K or so miles)?

Honest question; looking for feedback…I’m pretty mechanically inclined, but don’t know what I don’t know when it comes to automatic transmissions.
 
OP
OP
thatJeepguy

thatJeepguy

FRF Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2021
Posts
2,505
Reaction score
3,724
Location
GA
Finally found this more appropriate thread to ask a question… I understand the pan needs to be dropped to change the filter, but I still like the idea of replacing the stock pan for one that has a drain to expedite the drain, and reduce the mess of dropping the pan while full of fluid for the next time I change the trans fluid.

My question @FordTechOne and @Old-Raptor-guy would y’all ever bother doing a drain/refill without dropping the pan and swapping the filter as well, even if it were easy to do so via a trans pan with a drain?

Maybe at much more frequent intervals (20K or so miles)?

Honest question; looking for feedback…I’m pretty mechanically inclined, but don’t know what I don’t know when it comes to automatic transmissions.
The upgraded pan makes no sense to me if you have to jack up the tcase every time to get the pan dropped anyway. To me at that point you mind as well just get a huge catch bin and just drop the stock pan down. I did it on my grand cherokee like that and i worse some protective gloves amd i was done pretty quick. I backed the screws put so the pan tilts down towards the rear of the vehicle. Then I measured and refilled with the same amount with a bit extra. Id do it on my raptor but it wont fit on the lift (its a 4 post). But to me im not seeing an advantage with the pan unless of course you want to efficiently cycle the fluid without a filter change after the initial. Which honestly it take 3 fluid drops and refills to equal a full fluid flush of the system. Single pan drop is probably only like 1/2 the fluid.
 
Top